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Laura Adlington exposes NHS weight stigma in IVF treatment journey

Friday, 23 May 2025 12:33AM UTC

Pregnant Bake Off star Laura Adlington has revealed how NHS fertility care was hindered by fat-shaming and reliance on BMI restrictions, prompting her to seek costly private treatment and sparking fresh calls to overhaul obesity diagnostics.

Laura Adlington, known for her appearance on "The Great British Bake Off," has publicly shared her struggles with the NHS regarding fertility treatment, revealing an experience marred by weight stigma. The 36-year-old recently announced her pregnancy with an IVF baby, calling it a "miracle" after a long journey marked by nine years of infertility. In a candid Instagram Q&A, she expressed her frustration with the way NHS medical professionals handled her situation, stating she faced fat-shaming during her initial consultations.

Recalling the distressing experience, Adlington noted that she was weighed in a corridor prior to her appointment with a fertility specialist. This event was emblematic of a system she describes as relying heavily on Body Mass Index (BMI) as a gatekeeper for fertility treatment. With a BMI of 45, Adlington was told that she needed to lose weight before any tests could be administered, which she labelled as an archaic and inaccurate measure of health. Sadly, this narrative is not isolated; many individuals seeking medical assistance for a range of conditions report similar encounters where weight becomes a barrier to receiving adequate care.

The use of BMI as a determinant of health has been a topic of vigorous debate among healthcare professionals. Critics point out that this metric fails to differentiate between muscle and fat, leading to potentially misleading classifications. For instance, it inaccurately categorises individuals like actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson as obese due to his muscular physique. New recommendations from an international group of obesity experts advocate for a revision of obesity diagnostics, moving beyond BMI to consider factors like waist circumference and fat distribution, to better tailor treatment paths for those who risk severe health issues.

Following her initial disappointments with NHS fertility care, Adlington sought treatment at The Lister Fertility Clinic in London, known for its more inclusive approach that did not impose upper BMI limits. She reported a significantly more positive experience there, where her weight was addressed briefly but not used as a recurring justification for treatment denial. However, the cost of private fertility treatment is steep; the couple incurred a bill of more than £10,000 per cycle, highlighting the disparities in access that many face when navigating the complexities of infertility and weight issues.

Adlington's journey underscores the emotional burden faced by individuals grappling with infertility, particularly when compounded by societal stigma surrounding body size. The public often overlooks the psychological toll these experiences can take. Adlington's reflections on her internal struggle reveal a longing for motherhood that was overshadowed by years of medical advice focused solely on her weight.

In her pursuit of a family, she candidly shared that previous medical guidance suggested she would need to lose around 14 stone to conceive, a daunting goal that left her feeling hopeless. This situation is emblematic of a broader systemic issue, where individuals in similar circumstances can find their aspirations sidelined by rigid medical guidelines. Many experts advocate for a more nuanced understanding of weight and health, emphasising a holistic view that accounts for psychological well-being alongside physical health.

The British public's increasing awareness of these issues, coupled with conversations about the limitations of traditional metrics like BMI, may lead to more compassionate and effective healthcare practices in the future. As Laura Adlington prepares for motherhood, her experience serves as a reminder of the need for empathy within medical frameworks, ensuring that everyone, regardless of body size, receives the necessary support and care in their health journeys.

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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-14738585/Pregnant-Bake-Laura-Adlington-NHS-fat-shamed-infertility.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-14738585/Pregnant-Bake-Laura-Adlington-NHS-fat-shamed-infertility.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 - Laura Adlington, a 36-year-old star from 'The Great British Bake Off,' shared her experience of being fat-shamed by NHS fertility specialists during her IVF journey. She recounted being weighed and criticized in a corridor before her appointment, with her BMI of 45 being cited as a barrier to receiving fertility tests. Adlington criticized the NHS's reliance on BMI, describing it as an 'archaic and inaccurate measure of health.' After being denied IVF on the NHS, she sought treatment at The Lister Fertility Clinic in London, which did not impose an upper BMI limit. The couple paid £10,198.54 per cycle for the treatment. Adlington announced her pregnancy after nine years of infertility, expressing her excitement and relief.
https://www.ft.com/content/945b0da7-40b4-4f7d-889d-44dc73f3dc1a - An international group of obesity experts is advocating for a significant overhaul in diagnosing obesity, aiming to improve treatment access for millions at risk of severe health conditions. They propose reclassifying obesity into 'pre-clinical' and 'clinical' types, as the current Body Mass Index (BMI) does not adequately reflect health damage caused by the condition. The experts suggest using new diagnostic tools, such as waist-to-height ratios and technologies measuring fat concentration. These new definitions could influence the use of weight-loss medications and eligibility criteria for bariatric surgeries. However, challenges like financial constraints and the complexity of implementing these recommendations remain.
https://www.apnews.com/article/f3aafc072a3e685036d32ce3d9c3adac - A group of global experts has proposed a new method for defining and diagnosing obesity, moving beyond the traditional body mass index (BMI) approach. Rather than using BMI alone, the new criteria would include measurements like waist circumference and evidence of health complications related to excess body fat. This refined definition aims to better identify individuals needing treatment and improve patient outcomes. The report introduces two new categories: clinical obesity (for those with significant health issues due to excess weight) and pre-clinical obesity (for those at risk but without current health problems). Preliminary analysis indicates that under these criteria, approximately 20% of people currently classified as obese might no longer fit this categorization, while another 20% with serious health issues but lower BMIs could be identified as clinically obese. Though more than 75 medical organizations have endorsed the new definitions, practical implementation and broad acceptance may take time and involve significant costs.
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2023/06/29/toss-the-scale-bmi-harm - A recent report by the American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Science and Public Health highlights the harms caused by reliance on the body mass index (BMI) metric, including issues of 'racist exclusion.' As BMI is calculated based on weight and height, it does not accurately measure body fat, making it an imperfect tool for assessing obesity. In response, healthcare providers in the Seattle area are exploring new methods to evaluate patients' medical needs without focusing on weight. Lisa Erlanger, a professor at UW Medicine, is educating future medical professionals to disregard the scale and avoid weight loss recommendations. Erlanger's seminars emphasize understanding patients' needs holistically, suggesting that alternative support may be more beneficial than focusing solely on weight, such as in cases where children face bullying related to their body size.
https://www.nurse.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-bmi-formula-nsp/ - Body Mass Index (BMI) is a widely used metric for assessing body weight in relation to height. However, it has several limitations. BMI does not account for individual variations in body composition, such as muscle mass, bone density, and fat distribution. For example, athletes with high muscle mass may have a high BMI but low body fat, leading to a misclassification of overweight or obesity. Similarly, older adults with reduced muscle mass might be classified as healthy when they could have high body fat and related health risks. Additionally, BMI does not measure body fat directly and cannot distinguish between fat and lean body mass, limiting its accuracy in evaluating an individual's overall health. Other tools, such as skinfold measurements or bioelectrical impedance analysis, can provide more precise body composition data. Furthermore, BMI does not account for ethnic and racial differences in body composition and fat distribution. Research shows that the health risks associated with a given BMI can vary across different ethnic groups. For example, Asian populations may have a higher risk of metabolic conditions at a lower BMI compared to Caucasian populations, while African Americans might have a higher muscle mass and bone density, influencing BMI interpretation. Lastly, BMI does not reflect health outcomes. While BMI can indicate potential health risks, it does not provide a comprehensive assessment of an individual's health. Factors such as diet, physical activity, metabolic health, and genetic predispositions also play critical roles in overall health. Relying solely on BMI might overlook these important aspects, leading to incomplete health evaluations and potential mismanagement of patient care.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323543 - Body Mass Index (BMI) is a useful tool for determining healthful weight. However, experts have expressed uncertainty about its reliability and concerns about its limitations. For adults ages 20 years and older, BMI incorporates weight and height, but it does not take age or sex into account. A woman tends to have more body fat than a man with the same BMI. Likewise, an older person tends to have more body fat than a younger person with an equal BMI. For these reasons, BMI may not give the detail necessary to determine whether a person’s weight is healthful. BMI does not reflect the location or amount of body fat, and these factors can impact health. For example, studies have indicated that people who have fat around the waist and surrounding the abdominal organs may be more at risk of health problems than those with fat in other areas. A 5-year investigation of 1,964 people, published in Scientific Reports in 2017, was one study that confirmed these findings. If a person has a high BMI, they are likely to have a high proportion of body fat, especially if their BMI falls in the obesity category. However, it is possible to be “overweight” according to BMI, but have healthful levels of fat. For extremely muscular people, such as athletes and bodybuilders, height and weight measurements alone may not accurately indicate health, because muscle weighs more than fat. A healthy, muscular person may have a BMI in a very high range. Meanwhile, a frail, inactive person may have a low BMI, but more body fat and less lean tissue than is healthful. Regular BMI cannot accurately indicate the state of a person’s health at some stages in life. These include pregnancy and breastfeeding, childhood and adolescence, while a person is still growing. For this reason, BMI calculations are different for children and teens. Norm can also vary among people of certain races and ethnicities. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) suggest that an assessment of weight and health risks should incorporate three key measures: BMI, waist circumference, and risk factors for diseases and conditions associated with obesity. If fat accumulates around the waist rather than the hips, a person may have a higher risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This risk increases with a waist size greater than 35 inches for non-pregnant women or greater than 40 inches for men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To measure their waist, a person should: 1. Place a tape measure around their middle, just above the hip bones and the naval. 2. Take the measurement just after breathing out.

Laura Adlington
NHS
fertility treatment
IVF
weight stigma
BMI controversy